Share

Flynn Sentencing Hearing Delayed After Judge Accuses Former Trump Official of Selling Out Country

Share

Former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn’s legal team accepted a federal judge’s offer to delay sentencing to allow their client to continue to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller’s legal team.

Federal district court Judge Emmet Sullivan told the retired three-star general during what was to be his sentencing hearing, “This is a very serious offense. … A high ranking senior official of the government making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation while in the White House,” CNBC reported.

“Arguably, you sold your country out,” he added. “I’m not hiding my disgust, my disdain.”

“I have to caution you that the sentence imposed today may not be the same sentence you would get after cooperation ends,” Sullivan further advised Flynn. “The court likes to be in a position to say there is nothing else this defendant can to do help the United States of America.”

The court then took a brief recess, and when it reconvened Flynn’s attorneys informed Sullivan they would take him up on his offer.

Trending:
Hillary Clinton Jumps Into Trump 'Bloodbath' Frenzy with a Question, Doesn't Want to Hear the Answers

There will be a hearing on March 13 to assess Flynn’s status as a cooperating witness.

On Monday, Mueller’s team turned over to Sullivan a heavily redacted witness report, known as a FD-302, of Flynn’s interview with FBI agents on Jan. 24, 2017, just days after President Donald Trump took office, according to Fox News.

The document — finalized on Feb. 15, 2017, two days after Flynn resigned for misleading Vice President Mike Pence concerning his conversation with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak — states that Flynn replied “not really” when asked if he had asked Kislyak not to escalate tensions over newly imposed sanctions by outgoing President Barack Obama.

“I don’t remember,” Flynn also told the agents, according to the 302. “It wasn’t, ‘Don’t do anything.'”

Do you agree with the judge's ruling?

Flynn, in fact, had asked Kislyak to “refrain from escalating the situation in response to sanctions that the United States had imposed on Russia that same day,” according to prosecutors, who said Kislyak “had chosen to moderate its response to those sanctions as a result of his request.”

Earlier this month, Mueller filed a sentencing memorandum in federal district court in Washington, D.C., recommending no jail time for Flynn given his “substantial assistance” with the Russia probe.

Flynn’s legal team submitted its own filing last week to Sullivan asking for probation and community service for their client for making false statements to the FBI.

In the document, Flynn’s attorneys alleged that then-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe pushed the Trump administration official to not have an attorney present during the informal questioning at the White House, which ultimately led to their client’s guilty plea in December 2017.

The legal team also claimed that FBI agents deliberately failed to inform him during their initial sitdown that making false statements could constitute a crime.

Related:
The Rematch Is Official: Trump and Biden Clinch Nominations on Same Day

A House Intelligence Committee report released in May revealed that McCabe testified that the two agents, after speaking with Flynn, “didn’t think he was lying.”

Sullivan questioned Flynn directly about his legal team’s filing regarding inappropriate conduct by the FBI during his Jan. 24, 2017 interview.

“I can not recall any incident in which the court accepted a guilty plea in which he was not guilty, and I don’t intend to start today,” the judge said.

“Are you continuing to accept responsibility for your false statements?” Sullivan asked.

“I am, your honor,” Flynn answered.

During the hearing, Sullivan questioned prosecutors on whether Flynn, hypothetically, could have been charged with treason.

“The government has no reason to believe” that the decorated combat veteran “committed treason” was the response.

Trump tweeted Tuesday morning, “Good luck today in court to General Michael Flynn. Will be interesting to see what he has to say, despite tremendous pressure being put on him, about Russian Collusion in our great and, obviously, highly successful political campaign. There was no Collusion!”

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Share
Randy DeSoto has written more than 2,000 articles for The Western Journal since he joined the company in 2015. He is a graduate of West Point and Regent University School of Law. He is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths" and screenwriter of the political documentary "I Want Your Money."
Randy DeSoto is the senior staff writer for The Western Journal. He wrote and was the assistant producer of the documentary film "I Want Your Money" about the perils of Big Government, comparing the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Randy is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths," which addresses how leaders have appealed to beliefs found in the Declaration of Independence at defining moments in our nation's history. He has been published in several political sites and newspapers.

Randy graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a BS in political science and Regent University School of Law with a juris doctorate.
Birthplace
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated dean's list from West Point
Education
United States Military Academy at West Point, Regent University School of Law
Books Written
We Hold These Truths
Professional Memberships
Virginia and Pennsylvania state bars
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Entertainment, Faith




Conversation